1995 TVR Chimaera

TVR selected the British Motor Show of 1992 as the introduction for the Chimaera. The 'show' car appeared production-ready. The company's 'S' and Griffith ranges were both sports models, and the Chimaera was designed as a slightly softer sports car. Its underpinnings were based on the Griffiths, which in turn were based on the Tuscan racer. The suspension was slightly modified with different dampers and an anti-roll bar, as was a larger luggage area in the trunk, to help solidify the car's Grand Touring image.

The Chimaera was intended to replace the Rover-engined Griffith, but strong demand for both models helped justify their existence.

Initially, the Chimaera was to be powered by the all-new AJP8 engine designed and built by TVR. Development issues with the engine had TVR filling the engine bays with Rover V8-based engine. In 4-liter form, they offered 240 horsepower. A high-compression version developed 275 horsepower, and a 4.3-liter version brought horsepower to 280 bhp. A 4.5-liter version had 285 horsepower and a 5-liter capacity produced 340 horsepower. The 4.3-liter version remained until 1994 when it was replaced by the 4-liter high-compression model. The 5-liter version was introduced shortly before. The 4-liter HC engine was replaced by the 4.5-liter unit in 1996, and the base 4.0-liter was removed in 1998.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2018